Resilient restoring means for accordion keys



Dec. 17, 1957 c. IORIO 2,8

' RESILIENT RESTORING MEANS FOR ACCORDION KEYS Filed July 24, 1956 INVE TOR. 6400/00 ag/o.

. HTTORNEY.

RESILIENT RESTORING MEANS FOR ACCORDION KEYS Candido Iorio, Flushing, N. Y.

Application July 24, 1956, Serial No. 599,826

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-376)- This invention relates to accordions and more particularly to the spring means for restoring the keys to their inactive position after they have been pressed to emit tones. The main object of the invention is the provision of new and improved spring means to serve the purpose mentioned, which positively, efficiently and durably function over a long life for efficient operation of the accordion.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in association with the said spring means, of means whereby the various keys of the instrument may be readily brought into proper position and spacing relative to each other. Both of these improvements serve to prevent or overcome sticking of keys and consequent slowing down of the movement of the keys in either direction, that is, when depressed or released.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. it is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of an accordion, with the operating bellows and associated parts being omitted as immaterial to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a single accordion key per se.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlargement of Fig. 3, with parts broken away and partly in section.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the key restoring springs per se.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a contact guide, per se, which is attached to the back of a key and in which the upper end of the restoring spring registers slidably.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the frame of an accordion, including the base 11 to which the operating bellows, not shown, is attached, and the upstanding frame portion 12 to which the keys 13 are secured. It is of course understood that the present invention applies to both the black and white keys of the instrument. Each key has an arm 14 to the end of which the usual vent closure extremity 15 is secured, adapted normally to close the air passages or vents 16 in the plate 17.

The back portion 18 of the frame 10 extends upward from the base 11, and mounted against the inside thereof is a panel or board 19 extending longitudinally between the end frame members 20, of which but the one on one end is shown. Spaced ears 21 extend forward from the panel 19 to provide grooves 22 in which the lower ends 23 of the keys register and are pivotally mounted by means of pins 24 supported in the ears and extending through holes 25 in the keys. The upper and lower portions of the back edge of the key portion 23 slope (or may be rounded) at different angles so that in its normal inactive position, shown in Fig. 5, the lower back edge 26 contacts the panel 19, and when the key is depressed (swung to the right or clockwise, Fig. 5) the upper back edge portion 27 contacts the panel. All of the structure above described is standard and has been illustrated merely as a background for an understanding of the present invention. In fact, no attempt has been made to reproduce the standard accordion structure to perfection, since the structure shown and above described suffices for the purposes of the invention.

Ordinarily, accordion keys are provided with a relatively light coiled spring to restore them to inactive position. Such springs are weak and not durable. The present invention consists in the provision of a relatively strong or stiff leaf spring 28 having a widened base 29 provided with two spaced openings, that is, an upper round opening 30 and a lower opening 31 in the form of a transverse slot. Behind each key, a spring 28 is mounted by means of screws 31 passed through the said openings, with washers 32 between the screw heads and the spring base. The upper end portion 33 of the spring has parallel side edges, the remainder of the spring gradually widening toward the base. At its back and nearer the upper end thereof than the middle thereof, a spring guide bracket 34 is secured, as by means of screws, to the key. This guide may be made of a single strip of metal deformed to provide, intermediate its length, a U-shaped guide 35 having the base or cross-member 36 thereof raised from the plane of the bracket arms or ears 3'7. When assembled, the upper end 33 of the spring registers snugly yet slidably in the guide 35 and frictionally engages the base 36, thus normally urging the key counterclockwise (Fig. 5). Upon depression of the key, the upper end of the spring slides on the base 36, as it does also in restoring the key to inactive position upon release of the key. Thus a positive and strong restoring action is maintained by the spring.

Should a key be out of alignment, that is, shifted or swung to one side or the other and thus get too close to its neighbor, it is readily swung into correct position after loosening the screw 32 passing through the slot 31, as is obvious, and again tightening the screw.

Accordance provided with spring means for the keys embodying the features of the present invention, are not only more satisfactory in use, but are far less apt to get out of order through sticking of the keys or failure of the spring action.

I claim:

An accordion including a keyboard and an approximately rectangular rigid frame having opposed end members and opposed side members enclosing an approximately rectangular opening through the frame, the keyboard being mounted in said opening in approximately the plane of the frame, each of the keys of the keyboard being pivoted to the frame on an axis approximately in the plane of the frame and parallel with and close to but spaced from one of said side members and positioned be tween the ends of the key, the keys being adapted to be swung manually on said axis through an are from a normally inactive forward position to an operative rearward position, limit stop means limiting th length of said arc, and resilient means for retaining each of the keys in said normally inactive position comprising a ieai spring positioned rearward of and in the plane of movement of the key, one end of the spring being secured to said one of said side members, the other end of the spring being positioned near the other of said side members, said key having a guide member on the rearward side thereof near said other end of the key comprising a U- shaped member including a base and two parallel arms lying in a plane at right angles to the key and transverse with respect to the key, said base extending a distance outward from the key, said other end of said spring being positioned between said arms and being tensed to slidably engage said base and thus normally urging said base and hence the key forward into said inactive position, said spring having means for adjustably securing said free end thereof to said one of said side members comprising two longitudinally spaced openings in said one end of the spring, one of said last-named two openings being circular and adapted to receive a screw threaded into said one of said side members, the other of said two lastnamed openings comprising a slot transverse with respect to the spring adapted to receive a screw having a diameter equal to the width of the slot threaded into said one 5 of said side members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,087,508 Petromilli et al Feb. 17, 1914 2,495,913 Ahern et al. Jan. 31, 1950 2,635,500 Baldanza Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,239 Great Britain of 1897 443,758 Italy Jan. 3, 1949 

